Mixed reality – the blending of the real and virtual worlds – is a powerful visualisation and collaborative tool for the design team behind the Ford Ranger, Ranger Raptor and Everest at Ford Australia.

Ranger Raptor’s reputation for off-road performance and capability1 is legendary and, while its 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 grabs headlines, it’s the suspension that provides owners with ultimate control and confidence while off-road.

Olive trees bear a fruit that is consumed all over the world, as snacks, oil and tapenades. Now, Ford has explored using branches, twigs and leaves that are discarded during harvest for more sustainable auto parts.

Being the most versatile Ranger ever isn’t just about being able to carry a load or tow a trailer, according to Nick Eterovic, interior design manager, Ranger. “No matter where someone looks inside Ranger, we wanted them to see something practical, something useful to help them stay organised,” he said.

With the holiday season fast approaching, we’ve got a fun little #RangerRaptorArt project for you to do at home with the kids or as a piece of desk art for your office.

The adventure-ready Ford Ranger is not only engineered to be the most versatile and capable yet, but it was also designed to stand out in a crowd. “We start researching colours up to five years in advance and stay up to date with colour trends to ensure the colours complement the vehicles personality but also adapt to current trends", said Emily Harrington, colour and materials designer, Ford.

We've all experienced that sudden gust of wind that threatens to yank an open car door from our grasp or struggled while trying to open a door with one hand while holding items in the other. To fix these issues, Ford’s interior design team changed the design of the door handle, incorporating the release into the handle itself. To open the door, the release is squeezed against the handle, creating a natural grip on the door as it opens, preventing it from swinging open in a gust of wind or when you’ve parked on a slope.

In the same way a hole in a bucket will let water leak out, certain parts in a vehicle can let in air, and that can create noise in the cabin. Chasing down these virtual and physical noise pathways is the challenge Ford’s Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) team takes on, said Mark Thompson, PhD, who is the NVH engineer for Ranger and Everest.

Tucked away beneath the wing mirror on the Ford Everest is a tiny little sensor with an enormous role to play in customer safety. This little piece of equipment is called the outside air temperature (OAT) sensor, and it’s one of the most important sensors in your Everest, said Sandy Fragapane, Ford’s Climate Control Attribute supervisor for ICE Propulsion and Thermal Systems.

Designed and engineered by a global team headquartered in Australia, the Ranger is now sold in more than 180 markets around the world, and continues to build a reputation for quality, reliability and durability.